Hurry up and wait

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"Hurry up and wait" is a phrase used to refer to the situation in which one is forced to hurry in order to complete a certain task, or arrive at a certain destination, by a specified time; only for nothing to happen at that time, often because other required tasks are still awaiting completion. The phrase may have originated in the United States military in the 1940s. [1] Many U.S. military veterans, in particular, consider this phrase to be synonymous with military culture.

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References

  1. "Hurry Up and Wait", The American Heritage Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Houghton Mifflin Company.